“Consumers want to enjoy restaurant gourmet without spending a fortune, but many people are too busy to cook from scratch,” says Jean Shieh, marketing manager at Sensient Natural Ingredients. For the typical person, Shieh believes sauces represent “foolproof” cooking tools that provide the fun of cooking with ease.

Campbell Soup, Kellogg, Nestle and many other major food and beverage companies have committed to removing artificial ingredients from popular products in the past year. Clean label is no longer a trend — it’s the rule, according to Innova Market Insights, Arnhem, The Netherlands. But what does it mean to be “clean”?

“With very decadent offerings and international flair, gelato has enabled manufacturers to command a very premium price,” said Alan Owen, director of marketing at Sensient Sweet Flavors, Hoffman Estates, Ill. “Yet it’s still an affordable indulgence that reflects a progressive, upscale lifestyle.”